Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-11-18
IS ''OUIDA" IMMORAL?
Ella Wheeler Discusses the Famous
NoysIist's Works. The Effect of
0uida's Writings.
Ideal and Real Adventuresses-Ds
gerous Ideas That Should Not Be
Praciiced-Wherein Lies The
hmm orality of "Ouida's" Books-The Friv-
olous AND Base In Modern Society.
''Ouida" u Master Workman.
Contributed, 1851.

Copyrighted, 1887.
In the August number of Lippincott's
Magazine Mr.. Edgar Fawcett published
an admirable article entitled "The Truth
About Ouida." 1t contained the follow
ing sentences:
"The deCried immortality of Ouida l
have never been at all able to perceive.
While revealing what she believes to be
low and contemplate in society of to-day,
she employs merely the weapons Juvenal
made use Of. She is never sympathetic with
ng-dolng. She lays bare alike the SEN
sual and the sordid aim, but how cor
daily she seems to detest each mauvais
sujet she describes "
While all this Is strictly true, l differ
from Mr.. Fawcett, in being able to per-
ceive aud fully CO prehend the precise
| kind Of immoral feet produced upon the
| impressionable mind by "Ouida's" novels
| No where in any of her books, so fer as
can recall them, is she guilty Of describ
| ing with undue warmth or unnecessary
detail sny amorous scene or emotion
! She does not sweep US into any mael
strom OF furious passion with whirlwind
OF sublime words, like Gautier or Swim
burne. She does not initiate US into the
unique vices of the utterly depraved, like
Zola or Daudet. Sac does not charm us
against our will in The relation IF unlaW-
full amours, like BalZ,c.
But with all the strength OF her won
derful brain, and with the persistency OF
a determined purpose, she sends her
bullets of wit and sarcasm piercing
through the highest ideals and the noblest
i111N mi. nF ho
paints with false Colors halo which
never existed about the shallow and the
insincere.
read "Strathmore" during an IN
formed and romantic period of my life.
Lady Vavasour" was described as be-
lng-llke SO many of "Ouids's" heroiues
an extremely refined, thoroughly charm
ing, and irresistible creature, Worshipped
and sought sitter, beloved and respected
up 20 the very climax of her adventurous
and wicked career.
do not think my natural impulses ar
exceptionally vicious or immoral, yet l
must confess that the whole career Of
Lady Vavasour, as depicted in "Strath
MORE" was wonderfully fascinating TO
me. 1t left glamour and an Influence
which was long in being dispeHed. AS |
look upon the character now II realize
that 1t was misersblV untrue to life.
"Lsdy VaVasour" was an adventures
a mistress Of many men VINO mas
queraded as the wife of one-and revelleG
in all manner Of delight and success until
her fDGl downfall.
Since read the book, have come to
know in detail the careers of three adver-
turesses in real life. Each had-and per- |
haps still hasa measure of success in /
deceivlDg respectable people. in being |
received into pure homes, in winning |
favors sid admiration from influential |
men. But In all these cases they lived in |
terror of detection and in fever of I'M
rest with their own unhappy hearts. In !
each case the woman's name was used |
lightly by men who, If they pitied her too !
much to expose, despised her accordingly. !
Ia each case there were clean souied |
women who suspected and avoided her |
There are no fowery paths of unsllOyed |
delight for Lady Vevasours out Of Ouida's !
novels.
Even more ridiculously untrue to life,
and more subtly poisonous to the young |
mind, is Ouids's delineation of the impos
sible character of "Princess Naprsxine" !
and "Countess Othmar" This woman |
figures as the heroine Of two long TO- |
mances.
She was, according to Ouide's descrip |
ton, sOrceress whom all men adOred, q |
married coquette with bat slions of low |
ers, who fought over and died for her;
yet she retained the worshipplng love and |
respect Of both her husbands, bore spot
less reputation to the end, where we
leave her with her last devoted and dotipg |
spouse.
Certainly an attractive character and |
career to the romantic, power-lovlng girl |
of the day!
But outside Of Ouida's works the mar
ried firt with a retinue of lovers who |
fight duels for her favors is scandsUzed |
by society, her name is spoken sneeringly |
by men about town, and the husband |
whose pride and self-respect is trsmpled !
upon usually ends the matter by seeking |
a divorce. /
Over and over in ell her novels Guilds
gives uttersnce to sentiments like this
from the lips of Countess O:hmar, as she
muses. about her husband:
SIT is no good for him to be jeslous
and irritated. 1. keeps his admiration
and affection alive. If s man be not
made Jealous by his wife, he drifts into
Indifference"
There was never worse philosophy Of
fered TO the world than this. Never were
more erroneous and untruthiul precepts |
sent forth to poison ignorant young
minds.
Nothing could be more destructive to
happiness than for man or woman to i'm
bibe these ideas and attempt to practice
them. The affection which must be kept
aliTe by jealousy is Bot worth the effort
The husband who Is only interested wher
he is irritated is but blank in the lot
terry Of marriage.
Any man who is as tender, noble heart
ed and true as Count Othmsr was d,
scribed would grow to despise the shal-
low woman who kept him "irritated and
jealous" That sort of breeze may serve
TO fan the flames Of courtship, but 1t in
variably extinguishes the fires of copju-
gal love, and leaves only the blackened
embers Of disgust and the pale ashes OF
persisted pride.
II is this low ideal Of love and marriage,
this false halo which she throws aboutthe
career Of an adventures, the triumph Of
Injustice and emptiness over justice and
worth, which constitutes the immortality
of Ouida's works, to my thinking.
invariably close her books with be-
Titled estimate of human nature and
sense Of evaporation toward the whole
universe. In her novels it Is the shallow,
immoral, insincere and unworthy women
who always win the prizes and pleasures
of life. If she Furnishes and HnmssBs
them af the end IL ia not until thaU have